Reservoir seal for semi-fluent materials



Dec. 24, 1963 2. MELNIKOFF RESERVOIR SEAL FOR SEMI-FLUENT MATERIALSFiled Aug. 6, 1962 INVENTOR. ZACA AEJ MEL/V/KQ WK/4&4

United States Patent Ofi'ice 3,115,270 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 3,115,270RESERVOIR SEAL FOR SEMI-FLUENT MATERIALS Zachary Melnikoff, 351 S.Fuller Ave., Los Angeles 36, Calif. Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 215,112Claims. (Cl. 220-60) This invention relates to a dispenser ofsemi-fluent materials, such as mascara, and particularly to a mascarareservoir non-leakable seal which does not use glues, cements, or otheradhesives.

The usual mascara dispenser is composed of two main parts, namely, areservoir shell for holding the mascara material and a handle to whichan applicator rod and brush are attached. A plug seals the open end ofthe reservoir shell, the plug having a central opening through which therod and brush passes. The handle is internally threaded, and whenunthreaded is removed with the desired amount of mascara material on thebrush. After use, the brush is inserted back in the reservoir and thehandle threaded to [the plug. The rod and a resilient washer in theopening in the plug seals the opening.

In the past, it has been necessary to use glues and cements of differentkinds to prevent the mascara material, which is semi-fluent, fromleaking between the walls of the reservoir and the plug. Since thedispenser reservoir shell is made of plastic materials, a force fittherebetween has been found insufiicient to hold the material within thereservoir. This occurs because of the fatigue of the plastic underpressure. The present invention has been found to permit a force fit tobe used, the necessary contact pressure to prevent leakage beingmaintained at all times. 1

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate theclosure of a reservoir containing semi-fluent materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved,non-leakable seal for a resilient reservoir for semi-fluent materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, air-tightseal for a plastic shell subject to pressure fatigue to prevent leakageof a semi-fluent material from the shell.

A better understanding of this invention may be had from the followingdetailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mascara dispenser embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in cross-section, taken along the line 22 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the seal embodying the invention;and 1 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG.2.

Referring, now, to the drawings in which the same numerals identify thesame elements, a mascara dispenser unit includes a reservoir shellsection 5 and a handle section 6. These units are generally of a plasticmaterial. At the open end of the reservoir shell 5 is a plug unitcomposed of a cylinder 8, a wiper 9, and a metallic cylin der with aright angle flange 11 which holds the wiper 9 against the plug 8. Theplug 8 has an annular ring 14 thereon which is slightly larger indiameter than an annular groove 15 in the shell 5, the plug 8 and shell5 being maintained in fixed axial position by this ring and groovecombination 14-15, the plug 8 being forced into the shell 5 to theposition shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The handle 6 has attached thereto a rod 20 on the end of which is a coilwire 21 to which spiral bristles 22 are attached. The handle '6 isthreaded on the plug 8 as shown by the threads 24 in FIG. 3.

The reservoir 5 contains semi-fluent mascara material 26 which iscollected on the bristles 22, the brush then being removed past thewiper 9 which will remove any excess mascara material.

1111 was found that the difference in diameters of the ring and groovecombination 1415 provided sufficient pressure to prevent leakage whenthe dispenser was assembled. However, because of fatigue of the plasticunder pressure, the contact pressure was decreased and leakage occurredas air entered the reservoir. Various glues and cements were then usedto seal the plug 8 in the open end of the mascara material reservoir,but because of fatigue and the nature of the mascara material, leakagestill occurred.

The present invention permits a simple ring and groove seal for plasticreservoirs to provide an air-tight assembly which will prevent leakageover the lifetime of the dispenser. This is accomplished by surroundingthe plastic end of the shell opposite the groove 15 with a nonexpandablemetallic ring 30 which prevents any expansion of the open end of thereservoir from fatigue. Thus, it is a simple assembly operation to slipthe ring 30 into the recess 31 and press the plug 8 into the open end ofthe reservoir so that the ring 14 is accommodated in the groove 15, theresiliency of the plug and shell permit-ting the assembly. The outersurface of the ring 30 is flush with the outer surface of the shell 5 toprovide a smooth outer surface. This reinforcement of the open end ofthe plastic shell maintains a sufliciently tight contact between thesurface of the ring 14 and the surf-ace of the groove 15 to preventleakage of the contents of the reservoir over the normal lifetime of(the dispenser.

I claim:

1. A seal construction between the open end of a plastic reservoir and aplastic closure element for said reservoir comprising an annularinternal groove in and adjacent to the open end of said reservoir, anexternal annular ring on said closure element of said reservoir andadapted to be accommodated in said groove when said reservoir and saidclosure element are forced together, and a non-expandable external bandaround said open end of said reservoir opposite said groove therein.

2. A seal construction in accordance with claim 1 in which said closureelement is plastic and said band is metal of suificient thickness toprevent expansion thereof, a recess being provided on the outer surfaceof said open end of said reservoir for accommodating said band.

3. A seal construction in accordance with claim 1 in which said annularring has a slightly larger diameter than said annular groove, theresiliency of said plastic of said reservoir and said closure elementpermitting the interlocking of said ring and groove under pressure.

4. A seal for a plastic reservoir for semi-fluent material comprising ahollow cylinder closed at one end and open at the other, said cylinderbeing a reservoir for semi-fluent material such JaS mascara, the openend of said cylinder having an internal annular groove therein adjacentthe open end thereof and an internal recess adjacent said open end andopposite said groove, a plastic plug having an external annular ringadapted to be accommodated in said groove when said plug is forced intosaid open end, and a non-expandable metal band in said recess, said bandbeing of sufiicient thickness to prevent expansion thereof.

5. A seal in accordance with claim 4 in which said annular ring has aslightly greater diameter than the internal diameter of said groove, theresiliency of said plastic of said cylinder and said plug permitting theinterlocking of said ring and groove under pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SEAL CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN THE OPEN END OF A PLASTIC RESERVOIR AND APLASTIC CLOSURE ELEMENT FOR SAID RESERVOIR COMPRSING AN ANNULAR INTERNALGROOVE N AND ADJACENT TO THE OPEN END OF SAID RESERVOIR, AND EXTERNALANNULAR RING ON SAID CLOSURE ELEMENT OF SAID RESERVOIR AND